First Tuesday Breakfast Club is a community forum hosted by the North Tahoe Community Alliance. It presents an opportunity to learn about timely community news, project information, and relevant updates from businesses and influencers in North Lake Tahoe.

Breakfast Club takes place on the first Tuesday of each month from 7:00-8:30 AM.

August First Tuesday Breakfast Club:

August 5, 2025
2025-26 Annual Grant Cycle
Join the NTCA and community members from 7-8:30 a.m. for a virtual Breakfast Club on Zoom.

Agenda:

• Introductions
• Tara Hetz, NTCA grants framework manager
• Brad Johnson, North Tahoe Public Utility District, Secline Beach Enhancement & NT Trail & Pinedrop Trail & Community Art & Gathering Space
• Teresa Crimmens & Denisse Vega Zarate, Sierra Community House
• Christine Ka Lai Ryan, Tahoe Backyard Micro Business Incubator
• Erin Casey, Tahoe Housing Hub
• Q&A, agency updates, community stump speeches

Click the link below to join at 7 am on Tuesday, August 4.

NTCA President and CEO, Tony Karwowski, shares a recap of CalTravel’s Annual Advocacy Day.

On May 21, I had the privilege of traveling to Sacramento to attend CalTravel’s annual Tourism Advocacy Day.  Well over 100 tourism representatives from across the state convened at our state capitol to voice the industry’s needs related to pending legislation and highlight the importance of tourism’s economic impact on the state.

In small groups, we met with key assembly members and senators alongside counterparts from Mammoth Lakes, Ski California, Visit Fresno County, Visit Yosemite, and Madden Media.  We met with representatives and staff of Assemblymembers Hadwick, Tangipa, and Arambula, as well as Senators Alvarado-Gil and Grove.

Our team focused on the benefits of tourism across the state, including tourism’s $157.3 billion contribution to California’s economy in 2024, which generated $12.6 billion in local and state tax revenues.  We expressed support for SB 370, a bill to establish a grant program for music festival preservation across the state, and AB 1445, the Downtown Revitalization and Economic Recovery Financing Districts, to support struggling city downtowns across the state by establishing a redevelopment financing mechanism to attract new residents and visitors.

We also highlighted the importance of maintaining funding for forest fuels reduction across the state to help reduce the threat of wildfires, especially in areas around ski resorts and mountain communities. Lastly, we spoke about California’s insurance issues and how increased rates due to recent wildfires are hitting our business community particularly hard.

For an up-to-date listing of priority bills Cal Travel supports or opposes and their current status, check out Cal Travel’s Advocacy Toolkit Page.

 In mid-March, I was invited to join “Team Tahoe” members on a legislative advocacy trip to Washington D.C. We spoke about the need for Lake Tahoe Restoration Act funding in the 2026 appropriations cycle totaling $42M to address topics including forest health, water infrastructure to fight fires, aquatic invasive species, watershed restoration and water quality, and the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. Additionally, we engaged Congressional representatives ahead of the coming Surface Transportation Reauthorization to identify opportunities addressing travel demand impacts in the community, including SR 28 corridor safety improvements between Sand Harbor and Thunderbird, the Kings Beach Western Approach Gateway Project, and the SR 89/267 Transit Priority and Emergency Evacuation Lane projects.

The team assembled consisted of a wide range of agencies, tribal, NGOs, and NPOs, including representatives from TRPA, Visit North Tahoe Nevada, the Washoe Tribe, League to Save Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, Heavenly Mountain Resort, and the North Tahoe Community Alliance. We met with a total of 11 representatives and staff, including Rep. Kevin Kiley, Sen. Cortez Masto, Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Garamendi, Rep. Amodei, Sen. Padilla, Sen. Rosen, leadership of the House Appropriations Committee, and more.

This was a unique opportunity to showcase how North Tahoe’s strong private/public partnerships have collaborated on our biggest challenges, used a mix of private funds and public dollars generated locally, and how we’ve leveraged those funds on coordinated projects and programs to benefit the community. These well-coordinated efforts utilizing a mix of local, County, and State funds demonstrate the opportunity for additional partnering of Federal resources to further aid the priorities of transportation and environmental stewardship in our region.

Many of our representatives were interested in the stories we shared and look forward to advocating on our behalf in the appropriations cycle for funding that continues to move priority projects and programs for North Tahoe.  

To help prepare for this trip, the week before, the NTCA, Placer County and the TRPA jointly hosted Jack Thompson (Kevin Kiley’s regional representative) for a full-day tour of North Lake Tahoe. Our discussion focused on economic development, redevelopment of our downtown cores and resort villages, and current and planned infrastructure, transportation, and housing projects and programs. We also talked about how our business community stepped up to form the TBID, the additional funding it unlocks in support of housing and transportation projects and programs, our partnerships with private businesses, NPOs, and agencies that collaborate on improvement projects in our region, and the need for and role federal funding plays in amplifying the variety of projects and programs that help us continue to invest in our infrastructure, services, and environment. 

We toured Jack through the Tahoe City and Kings Beach downtown cores, visiting with developers and business owners to showcase the private investment underway in support of workforce housing and economic development, and wrapped up the day talking with Palisades Tahoe representatives about regional transportation enhancements, the Hwy 89 and 267 adaptive corridor management plan, and the Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan recently approved by Placer County. Jack will be in the North Tahoe area several times a year to learn and understand more about our regional priorities and how the congressman can help.

– Tony Karwowski, NTCA president and CEO

The North Tahoe Community Alliance is focused on fostering economic health, community vitality, and environmental sustainability that benefits local residents, businesses, and visitors. The organization seeks candidates for its Board of Directors to help guide the work of the organization in its responsibilities under the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District (NLT-TBID) and in contracts with the County of Placer that focus on destination management and marketing, housing and transportation, and sustainability initiatives.

There are nine seats open for election as identified:

• Homewood Mountain Resort (organization designated seat)
• Everline Resort & Spa (organization designated seat)
• Northstar California (organization designated seat)
• Palisades Tahoe (organization designated seat)
• Squaw Valley Business Association (organization designated seat)
• Tahoe City Downtown Association (organization designated seat)
• North Shore Lodging/Property Management
• At-Large, Food & Beverage
• At-Large Seat

Ballots were sent out in February 2025, the election will occur in March 2025, and new board members will be seated at the April 2025 Board of Directors meeting.

Applications are now closed. Please review the candidate statements below, and submit your ballot no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3, 2025. The results will be announced at the March 5, 2025 Board of Directors meeting.

You may deliver your ballot in person during regular business hours (9 am – 5 pm) before 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 3, 2025 to: McClintock Accountancy Corporation, 305 West Lake Blvd. Tahoe City, CA 96145 

OR mail it back in the enclosed pre-paid envelope for receipt by Monday, March 3, 2025 to: NTCA, P.O. Box 1757, Tahoe City, CA 96145 

Please direct questions to NTCA at 530-581-8700 or hello@NorthTahoeCommunityAlliance.com

Candidate Statements

Read the current candidate statements to learn more about the candidates for the NTCA Board of Directors:

Andy Buckley
Jill Schott
John Lincoln
Danny Scott
Caroline Ross
Dave Wilderotter
Nicole Gorman

As part of the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program’s Annual Grant Cycle, the NTCA Board of Directors recently approved and recommended a total of nearly $7.5 million in tourism-generated funding for projects and programs designed to enhance community vitality and improve quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors. This funding unlocks $8.8 million in matching grants, for a cumulative investment of over $16 million in the North Lake Tahoe community.

“The TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program provides the ability to direct funds generated by those who visit North Lake Tahoe – whether for the day, or if they stay overnight – to initiatives that enhance the day-to-day experience for all of us,” said Sue Rae Irelan, NTCA board president. “During this Annual Grant Cycle, projects that were put forward for funding consideration were primarily trail projects, however we hope to see funding requests for more workforce housing initiatives that can provide new housing options for our friends, neighbors, and colleagues in future cycles.”

At the recommendation of the broad coalition of local residents who make up the TBID Advisory and Zone 1 committees, the NTCA Board of Directors approved the expenditure of up to $565,606 in TBID funds. Through the TBID, both day visitors and overnight visitors contribute to North Lake Tahoe’s vitality through purchases at activity providers, restaurants, and retailers. TBID funds must be spent on programs and activities that directly benefit the businesses paying the assessment.

The four projects to receive TBID funding support initiatives that contribute to community vitality, economic health and environmental stewardship:

• Keeping Tahoe Blue Beach Pilot at Kings Beach
• Dollar Creek Trail Grooming
• Revitalize the Watson Cabin Phase II
• Tahoe City Gateway Beautification

In addition, the NTCA Board of Directors voted in support of the TOT Advisory committee’s motion to recommend to the Placer County Board of Supervisors up to $6,914,220 in TOT funds (generated by overnight visitors who stay in local hotels or short-term rentals) be invested into eight projects.

In January 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved funding for the following:

• North Tahoe Trail Access Improvement project
• TCPUD West Shore Trail Reconstruction
• Martis Valley Trail
• North Tahoe Shared Use Trail Segment 1
• Tahoe City Downtown Access improvements
• A community art and gathering space for Kings Beach and Tahoe Vista
• New radar speed signs as part of the North Tahoe Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan

At a recent meeting, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved nearly $1 million in TOT funding through the Annual Grant Cycle for winter shuttle service and enhanced transit in North Lake Tahoe. The funds are being used for Regional Transit Park and Ride programs with additional shuttles for the Highway 89 corridor between Tahoe City and Olympic Valley, an additional weekend of service on the Highway 267 corridor between Truckee and Northstar, plus new shuttles between Truckee and Donner Summit/Sugar Bowl Resort.

Included in the nearly $1 million approved TOT funds were allocations for extended winter commuter services in North Lake Tahoe that will run from Dec. 4 through April 7, 2025 and supplement existing TART fixed-route bus services. The new service will operate along the three major highways with the goal of providing service to commuters, residents, and visitors each morning and evening.

“The TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program has helped advance efforts to work toward solving some of our region’s most challenging issues,” said Tony Karwowski, NTCA president and CEO. “Although we still have a long way to go, having access to two sources that generate funding primarily paid by tourists visiting our region gives our community a greater opportunity than ever before to address some of these pressing needs.”

Learn more about the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program and how it supports a vibrant, year-round economy in North Lake Tahoe here.

In a story published in the Sierra Sun, reporter Katelyn Welsh features North Lake Tahoe resident Justin Sheaff and the grassroots passion project he’s pursued for the past 15 years benefitting the local community – winter grooming of the Dollar Creek Trail.

Welsh profiles Sheaff, how he got started, and how the project has evolved over time to now include the 4+ mile Dollar Creek Trail and a connector to Tahoe XC. This endeavor, which now requires funding to support the cost of fuel, maintenance, storage and repairs to the snowcat, plus wages for those who groom the trail, has become a costly one.

The NTCA awarded $125,000 in TBID funds to support the grooming effort, which local business owners are quoted in the story saying they’ve benefited from.
Click here to read the full story.

Mindful travel to North Lake Tahoe is a vital driver of our local economy. Tourism revenue allows our region to create more travel-related jobs as well as fund greater investments in infrastructure, amenities and innovation through the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program. The North Lake Tahoe Marketing Cooperative offers a variety of initiatives that restaurants, local businesses, and lodging properties can take part in to promote visitation to the region and to their individual locations. Are you ready to promote your business through website updates, social media collaborations, sharing assets and more?

As the winter season gets underway, not only are North Lake Tahoe resorts continuing their ongoing investments in the skier experience, this year marks significant milestone anniversaries as Sugar Bowl celebrates 85 years, Palisades Tahoe turns 75, Boreal commemorates 60 years, and Tahoe XC starts its 25th year as a nonprofit organization serving the community.

There’s no doubt that North Lake Tahoe’s impressive concentration of ski areas and outdoor recreation providers have helped shape our community and the distinct California ski culture. They’re what stand us apart from other winter destinations with the unparalleled sense of place and unique character they offer.

Essential to North Lake Tahoe’s success, ski areas are some of our region’s largest employers and have long been the primary drivers of the region’s winter economy. They’ve also pioneered many “firsts.” From offering the first chairlift in California at Sugar Bowl to hosting the first Winter Olympic Games in the western U.S. at Palisades Tahoe, to being on the leading edge of the rise of snowboarding up on Donner Summit, our winter sports legacy runs deep. These mountains have introduced countless first-timers to winter sports and turned out a cadre of Olympic and World Cup athletes.

They’ve also found ways big and small to give back to our community. Whether through support for local nonprofits to hosting events that bring people together and build community, local ski areas have undoubtedly taken an active role in our region since their inception.

As the snow starts to fly and throughout the season, expect to be immersed in local ski history and tradition as area resorts celebrate their legacy and recount the various stories, people and events that made it all possible.

A number of projects are occurring in the region that will improve and repair infrastructure, but will also impact traffic and transportation at multiple locations between Incline Village and Tahoe City this summer. From replacement gas lines and water mains to pothole repairs, replacement paving and guardrail installations, it’s all underway.

While this summer (and next summer) will continue to be a challenge for drivers on SR 28, please keep the long-term gain in mind – replaced gas lines for the benefit and safety of our community plus smooth and durable pavement that will ONLY need routine maintenance for many years come.

Here’s where to find updates related to what’s happening and where to expect delays:

Map of 2023 Truckee/Lake Tahoe Area Construction Projects – NDOT

Map of 2023 Lake Tahoe/Truckee Projects – Caltrans

SR-431 (Mt. Rose Highway) – NDOT

SR-28 – Incline Village to Crystal Bay – NDOT

North Lake Tahoe Lateral Pipeline Replacement Project (SR-28 – Kings Beach to Tahoe City) – Southwest Gas

Kings Beach (in the grid) – NTPUD

Road Construction Updates:

• Traffic updates for the week of September 10-16:
  • Tahoe City (Southwest Gas & Q&D Construction)
    • Sunday night-Wednesday evening: Makinaw Rd
      • This work will be 24 hours with bidirectional traffic.  This work will require no parking in and around the work zone from SaveMart to North Tahoe Arts.  
    • Wednesday evening-Friday: The crew will move up 1600 ft west of Rocky Ridge
      • The work at Rocky Ridge will be 24 hours with single-lane closures. They will be off the road on Friday at 12:00 p.m.
• Looking ahead at traffic updates for the week of September 17-23:
  • Tahoe City (Southwest Gas & Q&D Construction)
    • Sunday at 7 p.m.-Friday at 12 p.m.: SaveMart to Jackpine St.
      • Bi-directional traffic 24 hours a day from Sunday, 9/17 at 7 p.m. until Friday, 9/22 at 12 p.m.
      • Closure locations will move with the crew as they complete work.
      • Expect no street parking throughout Tahoe City from the 17-23.
• More Q&D Construction project info here.

• Traffic updates for the week of August 27-September 1:
  • SR 28 between Tahoe City & Kings Beach (Southwest Gas & Q&D Construction)
    • One-way traffic control is scheduled between Jeffrey Way and Ridgewood Road in Carnelian Bay from Sunday, August 27 at 7 p.m. until Friday, September 1 at 6 a.m. No work is scheduled on the weekend.
    • One-way traffic control is scheduled between Granite Road and Agate Road from Monday, August 28 until Thursday, August 31 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. No work is scheduled between the hours of 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
    • Motorists could encounter delays of up to 30 minutes on Highway 28. All work on road construction projects will be suspended on weekends and on the Labor Day holiday.
    • Schedules are subject to change due to weather, equipment or material availability or other unexpected events.

• Traffic updates for the week of August 14-18:
  • SR 28 between Tahoe City & Kings Beach (Southwest Gas & Q&D Construction)
    • One-way traffic is scheduled between Center Street and RIdgewood Road in Carnelian Bay from Sunday, August 13 at 7 p.m. until Friday, August 18 at 8 a.m. No Work is scheduled on the weekend.
    • Bi-directional traffic with a lane shift is scheduled from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, August 14 between Anderson Road and National Avenue in Tahoe Vista.
    • Bi-directional traffic with a lane shift is scheduled from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, August 15-Thursday, August 17 between Stag Drive and Estates Drive in Tahoe Vista. No work is scheduled between the hours of 7 p.m.-7 a.m. and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
    • Motorists could encounter delays of up to 30 minutes on Highway 28. All work on road construction projects will be suspended on weekends and on the Labor Day holiday.
    • Schedules are subject to change due to weather, equipment or material availability or other unexpected events.
  • SR 431: Mt Rose Hwy
    • Commercial Vehicle Restrictions are temporarily lifted.
  • SR 28: Marlette Creek
    • Work continues on the new detention basin and drainage improvements continue on SR 28 at Marlette Creek (near Thunderbird Lodge) with single-lane flagger control. Working hours are 24 hours a day from Sundays at 8 p.m. through Fridays at noon, and is expected to conclude by the end of September.
  • SR 28: Crystal Bay
    • Crews will continue curb, gutter, and enhanced sidewalk ramps installation. Concrete work will include small work zones with shoulder closures. Working hours are Sunday through Friday, 6 p.m. to 10 a.m., and is expected to conclude by the end of August.

• Traffic updates for the week of August 6-12:
  • SR 431: MT. ROSE HWY
    • Starting Monday, Aug. 7 at 9 a.m. through Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 11 p.m. the final one-inch of open-grade paving on SR 431 from Jupiter Drive to the roundabout will occur. Expect delays of up to 30 minutes with single-lane flagger-controlled closures. Working hours are Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Commercial vehicle restrictions on Mt. Rose Highway (SR 431) will be enforced during working hours. Trucks are prohibited from traveling westbound over Mt. Rose Summit from Mt. Rose Ski to Incline Village; trucks will be allowed to travel eastbound from Incline Village to Reno.
  • SR 28: MARLETTE CREEK
    • Work on the new detention basin and drainage improvements continues on SR 28 at Marlette Creek (near Thunderbird Lodge) with single-lane flagger control. Working hours are 24 hours a day from Sundays at 8 p.m. through Fridays at noon, and is expected to conclude by the end of August.
  • SR 28: INCLINE VILLAGE
    • Crews will be installing new curb, gutter, and enhanced sidewalk ramps. Concrete work will include small work zones with shoulder closures. Working hours are Sunday through Friday, 6 p.m. to 10 a.m., and is expected to conclude by the end of August.
  • Additional Utility and Construction Projects from NDOT
    • NV Energy powerline pole repairs on SR 28 between Village Drive and Gonowabie on Aug. 15 starting at 5:30 a.m., with moving lane and shoulder closures.
    • Charter performing utility work nightly on SR 28 south of Marlette Creek towards Spooner Summit from Aug. 7- Aug. 21, with single-lane flagger-controlled closures.

• Traffic updates for the week of July 30-August 5:
  • Pothole repair work with one-way traffic control began on Highway 267 this week. Work is scheduled between National Avenue and Sawmill Flat Road from Monday, July 31 at 6 a.m. until Thursday, August 3 at 8 p.m. Granite Construction Company is performing the work as part of an $8 million emergency contract to address winter storm damages in Placer County on Highways 28, 89 and 267, with Highway 267 being the last segment of the project.
  • One-way traffic control is scheduled between Carnelian Bay Road and Center Street in Carnelian Bay from Sunday, July 30 at 7 p.m. until Friday, August 4 at 8 a.m. Between the hours of 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, the full width of the highway will be open for use by the traveling public. No work is scheduled on the weekend.
  • In addition, bi-directional traffic is scheduled between Anderson Road and National Avenue in Tahoe Vista from Monday, July 31 at 7 a.m. until Thursday, August 3 at 7 p.m. No work will be scheduled between the hours of 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. No work is scheduled on the weekend.
  • No work will be scheduled between the hours of 8 p.m. – 6 a.m. Also, no work is scheduled on the weekend.
  • Motorists could encounter occasional delays of up to 30 minutes on Highway 267 and Highway 28. Highway 89 between Truckee and Tahoe City can be used as alternate route to avoid delays on Highway 267. All work on road construction projects will be suspended on weekends and the Labor Day holiday. 
  • Schedules are subject to change due to weather, equipment or material availability or other unexpected events.

• Traffic closures for the week of July 23-July 28:
  • One-way traffic control will be occurring between Carnelian Woods Avenue and Center Street in Carnelian Bay from Sunday, July 23 at 7 p.m. until Friday, July 28 at 8 a.m. Between 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. each weekday, one-way traffic will be converted to bi-directional traffic. No work is scheduled on the weekend.
  • In addition, one-way traffic control will occur between Pino Grande Avenue and National Avenue in Tahoe Vista from Monday, July 24 at 7 a.m. until Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m. Between 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. each weekday, one-way traffic will be converted to bi-directional traffic. No work will be scheduled between 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. Also, no work is scheduled on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• As of mid-June, the Caltrans emergency pavement and pothole repair work is nearly complete. Caltrans has been actively addressing SR 28, 89, and 267 with a goal to complete all these repairs by June 30, but due to trucking issues, the contractor will need to finish the SR 267 repairs from July 17 to 25.
• Southwest Gas is working hard to complete the final phase of its gas main replacement project in SR 28, which will benefit the entire community. However, we understand from Caltrans that the traffic control plan will cause significant delays throughout the rest of the summer construction season. 
• Drive time delays between Kings Beach and Tahoe City are projected to be between 30 to 60 minutes due to the lane closures and expected traffic flows. The peak commute times will see the most traffic impacts.

Watch the July 6 North Tahoe Construction Town Hall